An Endearing Conversation
by tennisxdork
Summary: Nara Shikamaru just got stood up by his ex Yamanaka Ino at Yakiniku Q, after receiving a small memo from her. What's the reason for her not showing up for 2 hours? Shikamaru's POV.


**Hello viewers! :D My scheduling has been crap for a while, but I day dream a lot, and so this one of my day dream/create it into a one-shot deal-o. .. It's not really planned, it's just spur of the moment type deal, and sure you can slash me for that afterwards. EEK. Gosh, sorry if it bland, I just wrote to write! xD I need some juice with ice…bipolar weather man…still going, but it's been gloomy/cold here.**

**Disclaimer: -flashes bright lights- I do not OWN Naruto…that is all!**

Happy Mum's DAY!

**An Endearing Conversation**

* * *

_Don't ask me, don't ask me,  
Don't ask me, ask me, ask me how I've been._  
-Ok Go

The compound of which I stepped my foot out of was once scented with adoring flowers and…well female. I currently reside alone, not a big surprise there, still regularly paying expense and electrical bills. It's not much of a hassle, to be quite honest, but much to my preferences I still linger on that never-endless attractive aroma.

As a single, free male I have no preoccupations to go by and most importantly no detailed thoughts to be bombarded in my conscious, and I am content with that. I have accepted the fact that maybe I shouldn't be constantly jamming my brain with the simple thought of a, um, lady friend. Consequently, I am twenty-two years of age, living by myself and frankly I suck tremendously at cooking; also I'm never at luck with the females.

My last potential relationship ended approximately 4 months, 2 weeks, and a day from now. Talk about luck. Since our official departure, or break-up, from one another, I haven't really devoured on thoughts about why it never worked because in reality it just didn't work out. I positively hope I would not need to go into a deeper analogy on that subject, so I won't even attempt it. Along the ride of my journey to man freedom, I just happened to redirect myself to her, which was out of coincidence…just to purchase a bouquet of flowers for my mother.

Reflecting on how simple-minded that I had to get flowers for my mother, I couldn't contain myself from looking more than once at her features. Though, it may be strikingly impossible to describe how she looked because there's no absolute way to reiterate how stunning her appearance was. Her thick locks of hair loosened from her usual up-do and fell freely at faultless lighting; where her hair was defined rich blonde. Her intriguing coral lips softy tugged into a grazing smile…and not to mention her luminescent, glassy blue irises.

A woman with these troublesome qualities goes by the rightful name Yamanaka Ino.

While heaving a deep sigh, I rustled my way towards the market place trying to map out this whole scenario. So yes I was amorously evolved with Ino, I was guilty on that relationship scale, no doubt. Somehow it just didn't feel like we were trying to commit, or yet make our time a priority…despite our hectic scheduling. With her taking extra shifts during the spring season (by far the busiest of all seasons) and me working diligently helping throughout the Chuunin exams ―it just came to an abrupt stop.

We then can to the rational conclusion to end our relationship.

As I said so before, I haven't really been lucky with females and much to my knowledge I haven't really lurched out in the racing dating life for another. Ideally, I knew our dates would come nowhere near in comparison with anyone else's.

Or maybe I am just too reminiscent of the past. Troublesome.

I stuffed my hands deep into my baggy pockets and felt a mysterious rumpled paper just against my fingers. I questioned what type of memo my mother could possible pester me about and so I unenthusiastically pulled it out with a sight hint of inquisitiveness look on my face. Undeniably, it's not a note from mom.

The contents were decipherable in girly handwriting:

Dear Shikamaru,

Yakiniku Q at 3:00

-INO.

Somehow I got mesmerized by this small note, I even took notice that her name was scribbled on the bottom with a heart…yet I need to refocus on facts.

So importantly, how is so that she managed to slipped this in my pockets without me knowing?

…also in replacement of my cigarettes?!

* * *

I peered at the direct time and quickly made the assumption that I had more or less 35 minutes to get there, which then according to calculations I have mere 30 minutes to render on my thoughts, or just sleep. Actually a nice nap sounds tempting.

I jammed the flimsy not paper back in my pocket and walked the distance toward the said restaurant on the memo, the barbeque restaurant to where Asuma-sensei would treat us, and Chouji would always end up making him penniless. The good time never lasted quite long as I remember…

Strolling down the grubby, flat terrain dirt trail to the nostalgic aroma of cooked meat, I successfully found Yakiniku Q, just like the times we gathered here. Flapping the fallen drapes open, I titled my head to greet to the owner and scattered costumers with sake.

No Ino.

I waited on the nearest booth I could slip into and watched monotonously as the clocked clicked every hour, minute, second. I could feel my eyes droop in surrender to lack of sleep.

* * *

…It's 5:07 present time in the evening and this place is deserted. I found myself being poked on by Chouji an hour ago and woke up from my forced napping. Dammit Chouji.

Hm, I maybe wasn't suppose surprised at all, I guess it's in Ino's nature to be 'more than fashionable late' or just to stood me up like this like an idiot. Troublesome, I guess I'm more gullible than I concur to be, or maybe just towards her individually…?

I blinked my eyes to stop the urge to fall in to slumber again and pulled out of the booth. Oh well, time to play Shogi once I progress home.

Suddenly I see a pair of familiar eyes, standing in all her glory as if time had never even moved an inched.

" Hey, how are you?" She gleamed, sticking out a smile.

Hmm, maybe it didn't occur to me that spending two hours and seven or actually thirty-seven minutes just to wait for a conversation starter such as that? Certainly that well off seems like the daring question of the year.

She saw down folding her hands, eyes wondering to the seat from across. She urged me to sit and I complied. I down and unwillingly slipped in the booth once again.

"…I'm great," she answered her own question after exceeding amounts of silence.

I casually leaned back and spoke my words. " Ino, did you needed an assistance with any of your problems ―I could have called Sakura…" I trailed off, seeing her look bitter towards my statement.

Ino waved her hands in a no gesture, " Uh, I just― it's a bad day to even be calling you out here. It looks like you have tons to do…I should, um, take a rain check." Ino stood up to leave, but my heart felt edgy just seeing her shuffle away from the booth.

" Ino, just come back and sit down, I honestly can't understand why meeting with me if scheduling is 2 hours prior to your availability. You recently finished your medical class at 4:30 today," I tried to reason with her, allowing this conversation to go smoothly and not as awkwardly to may be leaning towards.

She sighed and looked back at me with sheer embarrassment, I suppose. " To tell you the truth…I had all the free time in the world today…." Ino flustered.

I nodded, adding no particular comment towards that.

She pulled a well creased note from her pockets and squeezed it into my palm. I didn't question her at all and watched her lean forward pressing her precious lips against my numb cheek (the one I stamped my face on the table).

Ino bit her lip and by the expression plastered on her face, she looked like she would have reverse her mistake.

" Heh, sorry for ditching you for 2 hours, okay maybe 3…I hope I didn't screw up any of your plans or your cartoon shows you missed or your mom's roast beef!?"

I laughed in my mind, my mom does make good roast beef…with that she left the same person she was when we parted, just more matured and still ditzy as ever.

The sharp edges of the plain blank paper were felt between my hands. With over analyzing the reason she could possibly took so damn long. I shrugged and opened the paper, fold by fold, to reveal a neatly typed list in numerical order.

Clueless I read the bolded type font of the title:

**101 Things Ino Likes/Knows About Shikamaru Nara.**

I smirked, an actually person writing up a 101 things about myself? It happened to catch my attention very much so.

I skimmed through the numbers, baffled by such effort…

**006. How humble he is.**

That sounded like a complement.

**025. His intelligence and his brawns.**

**088. The way his chest heaves when he sleeps.** (:3)

**017. His kiss virginity.**

The tender age of seventeen, and we were a 100 sober.

**060. When he quit smoking.**

It actually took me 60 days to quit, and I haven't been on them since Ino keeps seizing them away.

**001. Use of the word TROUBLESOME.**

Now, I could understand why that was written first…

My eyes glimpsed thoroughly with each entry until I dwindled down to the final, last number. I gave a small-refined grin and pocketed the list in my vest. I waltzed right out, but only to be pummeled to the wall by a female. It's that luck again.

…Ino?

" How 'bout a rain check now?" Ino eyes sparked up with joy.

I nodded watching her features bloom like the attractive woman that she is. I walked alongside Ino enjoying the familiar scenery from several hours, all empty. I wandered around thinking about her list, although it was cliché, there was one thing I couldn't find to oppose at…which was taking the title of Ino's first affection.

* * *

-Possibilities people. ;)**  
-101 Things Ino Likes/Knows About Shikamaru…**uhh very like 101 Ways to Eat Pie…duh, spur of moment. I do have the list that I made….will post up on LJ uhh today…later on. :)**  
-101 Things I Like to Eat ?? **hey there now….I do like food, though I'd probably be obese if it wasn't for sports and sweat. That's beautiful…sorry. :D  
-**Thanks all for reading**, oh and I hope I don't see any ShikaTema fans busting up in this one-shot…I don't really need, "ShikaIno okay, ehh but ShikaTema better!1!11!….FTW son." Eat an oscar mayer winnie. :o  
-I just like ShikaIno man, dude, man. TT I'm just so fascinated by them, and they're fun characters. Meep.

**tennisxdork**

**Peace. Love. & Harmony.**


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